The Super Team
by then00b12
Summary: Akashi, Kuroko, Kise, Kagami, Midorima, Aomine, and many others all on one team? How will that work out? And will they be able to work together to defeat the mightiest foe of them all?
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's Note: This is set in 2012 (for the sake of competition) and I decided to accelerate the age (including height and weight and skill) of all the KnB players featured and enhance them with more skill for their opponents._** **_It will feature players not mentioned in the anime yet so beware of spoilers. _**

"Assemble a team," came the order from the head of Japanese basketball activities. This was a ripe opportunity for Japan, the man thought, for them to be thrust into the international stage as a country that could compete with the world's best in the growing sport of basketball. The talent pool in the Japanese professional leagues is the best it has ever been and is well suited for the situation.

**Saitama Super Arena**

**_Author's note: This is where all the games will be played. It's a legit real place that I Googled. _**

"Now all of you are probably wondering why you're here," came the booming voice of the former head coach of Seirin High, Riko Aida, her face more serious than ever and possessing the same haircut that she had while coaching in high school. She stared at the thirteen basketball players all seated.

"If you look around, this isn't just your run-of-the-mill reunion; you are here with a purpose; the Japanese government, in collaboration with the International Basketball Federation, FIBA as they are known, has decided for the assembly of the nation's best professional players into a 'Super Team' with the purpose of playing a couple of friendly matches against some international teams."

"Doesn't Japan already have a national team though?" perked a question from one of the players.

"That is correct. But I've been tasked with assembling the best team I can, and as an avid watcher of all the professional Japanese basketball leagues, I have chosen thirteen of you."

"Thirteen? Does that mean we have to allot and share playing time?"

"We plan to utilize each and every one of you," Riko answered.

"You gonna be the coach?"

"I will be coaching from the sideline, alongside our scout and manager, Satsuki Momoi. She is currently analyzing all the game film of our opponents."

"We are the thirteen best players you've gathered from the Japanese professional league?" someone asked.

"The thirteen best after Momoi and I have studied all the leagues in Japan. You thirteen are the best," Riko assured.

"Thirteen? I thought the roster limit was set at twelve for international competition?"

"Good observation. The truth is, due to the competition we are going to have, we are given one 'Injury Reserve'. This means that he can only play if someone is injured." Riko answered.

"Do some warmups, stretches and shoot around for a bit, then we'll start practice."

As the thirteen athletes all stood up from their seats and began doing their pre-practice routine, Riko looked at her clipboard to analyze the growth of the thirteen athletes since their days in high school. All these basketball players have matured and improved so much from their high school days.

_Seijuro Akashi _

_Position: Point Guard_

_Height: 6'0 (183 cm)_

_Weight: 175 pounds (80 kg)_

Riko looked up from her clipboard and watched as Akashi was doing layup drills under the hoop. He was going to be the leader of this team. He will coordinate and through his skill and tactical abilities they will theoretically be able to defeat any opponent.

_Shintaro Midorima_

_Position: Shooting Guard_

_Height: 6'8 (203 cm)_

_Weight: 200 pounds (90 kg) _

Riko watched as Midorima was unwrapping bandages from his hand and practicing his shooting form at the free throw line. Midorima's shooting will be crucial to the team. After all, three points is better than two.

_Ryota Kise _

_Position: Forward_

_Height: 6'7 (200 cm)_

_Weight: 187 pounds (85 kg) _

Riko watched in amazement as Kise was practicing his footwork in the paint. He was developing a post-up game. And his Copy ability, which must have helped bolster his arsenal of moves to utilize against his opponents.

_Daiki Aomine_

_Position: Forward_

_Height: 6'9 (206 cm)_

_Weight: 210 pounds (95 kg) _

Aomine was doing basketball dribbling drills. He set up cones on the court and he was dribbling around them through an array of crossovers and between the leg dribbles. Aomine was a shot creator. He's a player that can draw fouls and create a shot for himself in half court sets when the game slows down.

_Atushi Murasakibara_

_Position: Center_

_Height: 7'2 (218 cm)_

_Weight: 255 pounds (115 kg) _

Murasakibara is the focal point of the defense. He will be manning the paint and tasked with getting rebounds and contesting shots around the rim.

Riko had determined that these five would be in the starting lineup. This was based on the pretext of their previous experience of playing together. Ever since they transitioned to playing for professional teams. They have learned the fundamentals of teamwork and cooperation while harnessing their own individual skill. This does not, however, take away the growth of the other eight players selected to play for the team.

_Taiga Kagami _

_Position: Forward_

_Height: 6'8 (203 cm) _

_Weight: 205 pounds (93 kg)_

_Kazunari Takao _

_Position: Point Guard_

_Height: 6'2 (188 cm)_

_Weight: 182 pounds (82 kg) _

_Reo Mibuchi _

_Position: Shooting Guard_

_Height: 6'6 (198 cm)_

_Weight: 191 pounds (86 kg) _

_Tomoki Tsugawa _

_Position: Shooting Guard_

_Height: 6'5 (195 cm) _

_Weight: 189 pounds (85 kg) _

_Tatsuya Himuro _

_Position: Shooting Guard_

_Height: 6'4 (193 cm) _

_Weight: 184 pounds (83 kg) _

_Junpei Hyuga_

_Position: Shooting Guard_

_Height: 6'3 (190 cm)_

_Weight: 180 pounds (81 kg) _

_Eikichi Nebuya _

_Position: Center_

_Height: 6'10 (208 cm)_

_Weight: 240 pounds (109 kg)_

Riko looked at her clipboard. The final player, the Phantom, was nowhere to be seen on the practice court.

_Tetsuya Kuroko _

_Position: Point Guard_

_Height: 5'11 (180 cm)_

_Weight: 153 pounds (69 kg)_

"I think I should play the role of Injury Reserve, Coach," came a soft-spoken voice to the right of Riko. The momentary jump scare made Riko drop her clipboard.

"Kuroko, you really need to stop doing that," she breathed a sigh of relief.

"I think I should fill the role of Injury Reserve, Coach," Kuroko repeated.

"Are you sure about that? I was thinking about doing a few drills first before I made a final decision on that," Riko huffed.

"I'm quite sure, Coach, I know that everyone wants to play. This is a one-of-a-time opportunity and I want everybody to relish it. If that means that I have to sacrifice significant amounts of playing time. That's something I would be willing to do."

Riko smiled as Kuroko made his comment. This is the Kuroko that many people like. He was a great locker room presence who could quash bitter bickering between teammates and chemistry issues from the team. His passing abilities to include everyone around him makes him a fun player to play with. In terms of skill and talent, there were ample players in the Japanese League that she could've chosen over Kuroko, but it were the intangibles that Kuroko has that helped him make the team.

"Alright everyone! Gather around! This is how we are going to do this."

As Riko explained the game plan and the starting lineup, Kagami verbally, and loudly rejected the idea of him coming off the bench rather than starting.

"There's no way I'm coming off the bench!" he boldly declared.

Riko's persistence and explanation of her point of view went to no avail. It was the presence of Kuroko, who temporarily scared him because nobody knew he was there, who assuaged his concern.

"We must all make sacrifices for the sake of the team," Kuroko calmed Kagami.

It was this locker room presence that Riko so coveted from Kuroko that helped end the dilemma. Kagami's stubbornness might have led him to quit the team and not even participate in the games at all. But it was Kuroko that was the glue that held the team together. This was the Kuroko that everybody enjoyed playing with.

**Scrimmage **

The team played its very first game against another professional Japanese team. It was just a scrimmage, a practice game, not something to be taken too competitively.

But great players all thrown together do not click offensively and defensively immediately. Even though the Generation of Miracles had played as a squad in the past, they had trouble figuring out the team concept.

Akashi and Aomine disputed over who would be the one to initiate the offense and bring the ball up the court. Murasakibara and Kise fought amongst each other to grab rebounds and often let the ball get away because their bodies would clash. Midorima would often times decide to shoot the ball rather than pass when double teamed or under extreme pressure and attempt a difficult shot.

All this coupled with a superstar bench that was unaccustomed to being second-rate on their own squad led this team to trail by a significant points by halftime.

This was the reality check that they needed.

A squad of just the best players was not guaranteed victory. A squad of mediocre players working together can defeat a team with exponentially better talent that isn't.

But all these players have an innate desire, a burning will, struck deep within their minds. It was a basic necessity they needed, like water and air.

It was winning.

All these players wanted to win.

At this point, they became determined, like a rabid dog ready to attack its prey. They unleashed their fury, as a team, on their opponents and won by a healthy margin.

A team full of mediocre players working together can be difficult to beat; a team full of super-players working together is impossible to beat.

After winning all their exhibition games by titanic numbers, the locker room was in a joyful mood. Beating national teams of foreign countries by over 50 points and most recently, 70 points, showed utter dominance.

"We are unbeatable!" Tsugawa happily pounded his chest. His defense was extremely phenomenal and on full display on these recent games.

"Who's next on our torture chamber that is the hardwood floor?" Kise joked.

"I'll destroy their Center! Bring it!" Nebuya clapped his hands.

"All of you need to calm down," Riko entered the locker room.

"Huh, coach? Shouldn't you be excited? I mean, we are not only crushing these guys. We're annihilating them!" Kagami scoffed.

"Momoi and I have been reviewing game film. She's been studying them extensively in particular," Riko brought up.

"What's she need to study film for? We're ripping our opponent's new ones every time. Speaking of which, I haven't seen Momoi at all for any of our games. In fact, I haven't seen her since we were brought together," Aomine retorted.

"She'll be on the bench for our next game. But she's studying our next opponent at the moment. Some of them have an incredible amount of data to analyze and study," Riko answered.

"Who's our next opponent?"

"The National Team of the country that houses the best professional league and players in the world," Riko nodded.

"You don't mean…" came the stunned faces of everyone in the room. They knew whom she was referring to.

"Yes, the United States Men's National Team."

**_Author's Note: Hello fellow readers. Yes, I do intend to write an entire fic (spanning multiple chapters) about this super team. This chapter is more of a prologue for the game that they will soon play. And I do intend to go deep into detail into every play and utilize every player from the KnB universe on this team. Every. Single. One. Of. Them. _**

**_Anyways, any reviews or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Hope you enjoy! _**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Author's Note: I do want to remind my fellow readers that this is set in 2012 against the 2012 United States Men's National Team that competed in the Olympics. Not the Current team in the FIBA World Cup. I also implore y'all to look up the US roster, see how they look like matched up against your favorite players so you can put a face to the opponents. Also, I will use a lot of basketball terms so be wary of my weird vocabulary. _**

**Game Day **

Riko surveyed the game bench. Old habits never die. Kagami was visibly anxious and nervous. The shadows under his eyes was a testament to his lack of sleep and insomnia before a big game. Midorima had acquired another lucky charm for the best luck.

The Saitama Super Arena was packed with fans that were buzzing like bees in their hives. The Japanese team had performed amazingly against its previous opponents and word had spread amongst the local newspapers and news stations like wildfire.

Cameras were streaming the events throughout the television sets of Japan and the rest of the world. Journalists, reporters, and fans alike packed the basketball arena. An exponential larger turnout to the games then previous matches, Riko wondered if it was the presence of the United States team rather than the Japanese team that drew the fans to the game.

Riko also made a priority to teach her players the English language to comply with FIBA regulations of being able to understand the referees at the game, all whom spoke English to communicate fouls and violations. And it also didn't hurt for the players of the opposing team to be able to talk to each other. It was, at the end of the day, just a friendly competition to strengthen political and economic ties between the United States and Japan.

Kagami and Himuro had no problem picking it up again, since they resided in the United States a majority of their childhoods.

The rest were lectured by a professor during breaks in training and practice to strengthen their vocabulary and accents.

In spite of all this, Riko analyzed the opposing team. They were true freaks of nature. They had Shooting Guards and Point Guards whose strength could easily rival that of a Center in an average Japanese professional team. They had Power Forwards and Centers who could shoot the three ball like a Shooting Guard. They had players who were fast as gazelles racing up and down the court. They had players who could defend multiple positions of the opposing team, with extreme ease, a matchup nightmare for the Japanese team. And lastly, they were longer and bigger than the Japanese team, their lanky arms and big bodies can easily disrupt passing lanes. They were truly OP, in laymen terms.

But Riko had confidence in this team. If anybody were to be able to defeat them, it would the team she had assembled.

"Riko, excited for the game to start?" came a voice by the sidelines.

Satsuki Momoi. The Analyst. She had finally arrived.

"How was the film study?" Riko asked.

"It was intense. But I have reviewed enough statistics and film to be able to definitively concoct a strategy against the U.S.," she answered.

Riko nodded as she let out a whistle to signal her team to get into a huddle.

"Gather 'round team! It's game time! We're huddled up now because Momoi is going to give us a strategy that she devised to help win this game. In a few moments, Momoi will break down every single player of the opposing team to you, offensively and defensively, and her strategy that will best suit us to win." Riko announced.

As she finished, the lights in the arena went black, much to the amusement of the crowd. A synchronized murmur of 'ooh' helped convey the simple realization that the game was to soon begin.

"What's happening?" Mibuchi asked.

"The Announcer will now present the starting lineup of both teams, starting with the visitor, the United States. As each player of the starting lineup is introduced, Momoi will give her analysis on that player. After they finish, our starting lineup will be introduced and Momoi will give us the strategy she devised.

As the blackness of the arena ensued for a few seconds, a round circular light made its way to the United States bench. Five players sat on the white seats of the bench while the rest were standing on the court in a single file line.

"At Forward! Number 6, LeBron James!" came the announcer in Japanese, butchering the pronunciation of LeBron's name. Surely enough, one of the players from the bench stood up and walked toward the single file line of his teammates, each step traced by the round circular light. LeBron, would high five each and every one of his teammates and stand at the end of the line, furthest from the bench. He was well-built, muscular, not lean, pure, genetic, God-given muscle. He wore a dark blue headband to match the color of the uniform that had the red engravings of the letters 'U S A' on the jersey and a white outline of his number.

_LeBron James_

_Position: Forward_

_Height: 6'8 (203 cm) _

_Weight: 250 pounds (113 kg) _

"He's a human freak of nature," Momoi began to explain to the huddled team.

"He's is walking triple-double. He can defend the Point Guard and match their speed and skill; he can defend a center and match their strength. If he gets a rebound, he starts the fast break automatically because he can run as fast as anybody and pass like anybody in this arena. He may sound like the boss villain in a video game but there are ways to negate his effectiveness. Do not play tight defense on him. Be lax on that and force him to take jumpers rather than allow him to attack the basket. If he were to get the defensive rebound, immediately trap him with two defenders, just enough so that he cannot initiate a fast break opportunity on the offensive end."

The team was momentarily stunned by the explanation given by Momoi. It was elaborate, precise and easy to understand. Even Riko paused to recollect the information she had just heard.

"At the other Forward position! Number 5! Kevin Durant!"It was the second player announced for the United States team. Another player stood up and did the exact same routine as LeBron did and waited at the end of the line for the next player to be introduced.

_Kevin Durant_

_Position: Forward_

_Height: 6'9 (206 cm) _

_Weight: 240 pounds (109 kg) _

Kevin Durant looks like the polar opposite of LeBron James. LeBron, on one hand, is muscular, bulky and intimidating. Durant on the other hand, is taller, the definition of lanky and the more derogative scale of the term 'skinny'.

"Play tight defense on him. Be physical. He's a shooter and is not afraid to shoot a pull-up three pointer in isolations or in the fast break. We need to limit his ability to get hot with his jump shot. The physical play is to dissuade him from driving to the basket and not allow him to get space for a shot. He possesses a lot of lateral quickness and speed so you have to be on guard on defense all the time. His detriment while on defense will be his lack of strength and inept ability to adapt to physical play, we have to take advantage of that." Momoi explained.

"At the Center Position! Number 4! Tyson Chandler!"A towering figure stood up from the bench and sprinted towards his teammates, collecting high-fives in the process.

_Tyson Chandler_

_Position: Center_

_Height: 7'1 (216 cm)_

_Weight: 240 pounds (109 kg)_

Tyson Chandler is indeed a towering figure, like Murasakibara. He had a physical upper body frame to be able to bang with physical centers in the paint and lean legs to be able to chase fast players on the perimeter. A clean shaven head to match a meaty beard, Tyson Chandler was the focal point of the United States defense.

"Tyson Chandler is a very unique type of player. He does not command a strong offensive repertoire of moves. But it is in fact his hustle to gather rebounds on both the offensive and defensive end that allows him to be so effective. His presence alters shot attempts because his large, towering body forces players to adjust their shot mid-form to avoid being blocked. Keep note of that. Our primary goal is to keep him off the glass in the low block. Be sure to always box him out"

"At the Guard position! Number 13! Chris Paul!" If Tyson Chandler was the super tall bigger brother, Chris Paul is the short younger brother. Chris Paul had a calming demeanor, the shortest player on the team. The point guard position is the natural niche for him. He has no problem quarterbacking an offense.

_Chris Paul_

_Position: Point Guard_

_Height: 6'0 (183 cm) _

_Weight: 175 pounds (80 kg) _

"He is the ultimate point guard. He involves all his teammates. His ability to utilize the pick-and-roll allows him to penetrate deep into the defense and set up his teammates with easy shots. That is not the only attribute that he has. He is an aggravating defender; he will try to get under your skin; he's what we would call a pit bull, tough and feisty. Play ice on defense and do your best to contain him so that he does not get by you."

"At the other Guard position! Number 10! Kobe Bryant!" It was the seasoned veteran of the team. His face calm, the victim and hero of many battles. His nonchalant walk down the court while being greeted by his teammates down the line and when he reached the end, the team gathered around into a huddle and after a few words of encouragement from a few different players, the huddle broke into a few players letting out mighty yells.

_Kobe Bryant_

_Position: Shooting Guard_

_Height: 6'6 (198 cm)_

_Weight: 205 pounds (93 kg)_

"Kobe Bryant is the veteran of this team. He has played professional basketball at the highest level since he was 18 and excelled at it. Of all the players on that team, he has the most gifted offensive arsenal. He is extremely effective on the defensive end when he puts effort there. He does, most of the time, become disengaged on that side of the floor to conserve energy for offense. Play your toughest defense on him; force him to take difficult shots."

"Is that it? Are you going to give us a detailed analysis on every single player on that team?" Kagami questioned Momoi.

"I will do this for every opponent on the court. But that is not all. I have a step-by-step plan. Follow it and we will win. Listen closely…"

**Jump Ball: Start of Game**

"Let's go!" the exclamation of the Japanese team after Momoi told them in detail the plan she had devised.

Riko walked to the scorer's table and handed the scorekeeper a card to help identify the starting lineup and the rest of her team.

Guard – Seijuro Akashi; Number 1

Guard – Shintaro Midorima; Number 2

Forward – Kise Ryota; Number 3

Forward – Daiki Aomine; Number 4

Center – Atushi Murasakibara; Number 5

The starting five took off their warmup gear. Underneath the hot sauna was a bright white uniform, a glowing red that encrypted the kanji for the word 'Japan' on it, followed by a dark black color for the number on the jersey.

The rest of the team sat on the bench while Momoi stood and observed all the players on the court, analyzing any minute detail.

After the formal handshakes between the players of the opposing teams, the teams lined up at the center of the court. The excitement of the fans poured a roaring cheer as it rained down from the rafters.

Murasakibara and Tyson Chandler lined up at the very center of the court. These two would be facing each other for most of the game.

The rest of the players lined up at the edges of the circle. There were to be three referees for the game. The lead referee was the one that would throw the ball at the jump ball and the other two would run the sidelines for the duration of the game.

As the lead official walked into the center circle and held the ball above his head, Muraskibara and Tyson Chandler bent their knees firmly. They are prepared for the initial burst of energy to jump as high as they can to tip the ball to their teammates.

The referee threw the ball into the air in a straight line as both Muraskibara and Chandler both jumped high into the air. Murasakibara extended his right arm as far as he could to reach the ball as it was at the apex of the throw and felt the leather on the tips of his fingers. But as he was about to bat the ball to one of his teammates, the ball was emphatically swatted in the opposite direction by Chandler.

The ball flew a straight line into Team USA's backcourt and right into the hands of their point guard, Chris Paul. Akashi was to mark Chris Paul. This was a certainly a matchup worth watching. Pound for pound and inch by inch they were the same build and height. How would the floor generals fare against each other?

Akashi squatted and bent his knees to prepare his defensive stance against Chris Paul. He was going to defend his opponent full court. But to Akashi's surprise, as soon as Paul caught the ball, he threw a strong chest pass across the half-court line to his teammate, Kobe Bryant, who was lying in wait for the pass at the top right side a few steps behind the three-point arc.

Kobe caught the ball and with both hands put the ball behind his head. He was in triple threat position to start the game.

Midorima was to guard Kobe. He also bent to his defensive stance and put his left hand on Kobe's waist. This was the aspect of hand-checking. It is a defensive tactic where the defender would put a hand on their opponent's waist and apply force to counterbalance the offensive player's movement.

But that was not needed. For as soon as Kobe caught the ball and put it behind his head to prevent his defender from knocking it free, Kobe, with one motion, threw an overhead pass towards the rim.

As all this unfolded, a player was running towards the rim, Chandler, the man who participated in the jump ball, was sprinting towards the basket; He took off as soon as he won the jump ball. Murasakibara, attempted to keep pace with him but was immediately met with a hard screen by LeBron James at the top of the center three point arc. This slowed down the towering Muraskibara by a good second as he tried to fight around the screen. The player defending LeBron James, Aomine, was also caught off guard by his man going the opposite direction from the goal to screen a man and was caught flat-footed as he tried to catch up with Chandler who ran towards the rim.

As a result of the development of the play, Chandler caught Kobe's pass in the open lane, completely unguarded, and cocked his hands backwards after he caressed the ball in the air and with one mighty motion, slammed the ball down the hoop. He let out a mighty war cry as he slammed the dunk and looked at the crowd cockily as he jogged back onto defense.

2-0. USA.

It was a set play. The very first play of the game was perfectly executed by Team USA. The defense of Team Japan was completely shattered in the first few seconds. The play was met with the roaring approval of the capacity crowd. The Japanese players were shocked, not surprised, this is to be expected of the best team in the world.

Kise, away from the play while marking Kevin Durant, quickly ran to get the ball, and inbounded in to Midorima, who then began to slowly dribble the ball up the court.

This was surprising to the Japanese fans watching the game. It is very rare that a shooting guard would bring the ball up the court to initiate the offense. Midorima walked past the half court line and eyed the defense. Everyone in the USA team was slowly positioning themselves for the defensive possession. Kobe, the man that was to guard Midorima, squared up on the line of the top of the arc. Midorima, still dribbling the ball with his left hand and at center court, bent his knees and in one motion shot the ball high into the air.

The basketball traveled in the air in a parabola formation, reaching its peak before coming down on a perfect slope towards the rim and swishing through.

3-2. Japan.

The roaring Japanese crowd became more hyped with the make of that shot. It caught everybody on the United States team off guard. They were not prepared for a player to be shooting half court shots to start the game.

As Team Japan quickly hustled back onto defense, the United States player looked at each other in disbelief. A fluke, they assured themselves.

LeBron James went to inbound the ball to Chris Paul who was then immediately pressured by Akashi. Like a pesky mosquito, Akashi continuously swiped at the ball with his hands while Paul dribbled it up the court and shielded away the defense. Chris Paul immediately lobbed the pass to Durant on the left side of the court a few steps in from the three point line.

Kise recalled the advice that Momoi gave on defending Durant and began to implement a very physical presence. Durant was caught surprised by the physicality of Kise's defense and retreated backwards with a few dribbles. Kise, unrelenting, continued to hound him, attempting to force Durant to his left (forcing him to utilize his off-hand as well) and succeeded in doing so when Durant did a half spin towards the baseline under the basket.

Murasakibara immediately slid over from the paint as the defense collapsed and suffocated Durant under the basket. Unable to get a shot off through the outstretched branches that are Murasakibara's arms and unable to pass it to any nearby teammates, Durant lobbed a past back into the backcourt into the waiting hands of LeBron.

LeBron jabbed left and shot a long 20-ft jump shot that clanked off the back cylinder and into the giant hands of Murasakibara. As the Americans retreated back towards their goal, Murasakibara passed the ball to Midorima yet again.

With no one near him, Midorima caught the ball and shot from his opponent's three-point line. Nobody expected him to shoot from that far away, less his teammates and coach, much less make it.

The synchronized shock and amazement from the watching crowd filled the arena. The United States players and their bench was also stunned. They couldn't simply process the information.

6-2. Japan.

As they inbounded the ball, the entire Japanese team applied full court pressure, defending their opponent man-to-man the entire way up the court.

Chandler inbounded the ball to Paul who caught it in the corner by the outside baseline. Chandler's man, Muraskibara, who defended the inbound, immediately charged at Paul. It was a trap in the backcourt. Paul, unable to dribble past the effective and physical play of Akashi or pass the ball back to Chandler because of the towering presence of Murasakibara, blindly threw a pass up the court, which was easily stolen by Aomine. He then dribbled the ball back up the court towards the United States goal.

With the United States being in an offensive possession and suddenly being reverted back into playing defense, they were like a bunch of ants scrambling around after the anthill had been destroyed. Aomine immediately passed it back to Midorima, who was now closer to the three-point line.

Midorima caught the pass and set himself up for another shot. This time, since he was pressuring Kobe Bryant, Kobe was now able to effectively close out on him and did so by extending his hand out to contest the shot.

However, this was a fake to draw out Kobe, and as Kobe jumped into the air to defend a shot that was not there, Midorima leaned in and waited for Kobe's body and his to make contact. And as soon as that happened, the referee blew the whistle, signaling for a foul. Shooting foul. Number 10. Kobe Bryant. His first personal foul.

But because Midorima's motion had not been stopped, he continued with his shot the second time and shot the ball in spite of the contact. Swish again.

And One.

9-2. Japan.

That is one of the rules for an offensive player to take advantage of he is fouled. If he is fouled and continues to shoot the ball without dribbling and makes the basket, the basket will account for its full point and the offensive player is awarded an extra free throw.

Lining up at the free throw line, Midorima sank his free throw with ease.

10-2. Japan.

The often cocky United States team was now a bit rocked by the way the sequences unfolded in the opening 75 seconds of the game. The Japanese had scored 10 consecutive points in a short span. But this was all part of Momoi's plan. The first step was well into effect and the players on both team know it.

**_Step 1: The Blitzkrieg _**

**Author's Note: Hello fellow readers. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I do understand if it's kind of hard to keep track of all the players and characters shoved into the story at once but bear with me here. I'll do my best to write it as best as I can. I'll update as soon as possible**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hello fellow readers. I have read your comments about distinguishing the guards and the forwards. In most scorecards, it does not distinct power forwards from small forwards and vice versa; the same applies to point guard and shooting guard. Also, there are many players in the United States' roster that have players who are capable of playing multiple positions. But, for the sake of clarity, I will specify each player's position in the future. Sorry for the confusion.**

10-2. The score burned bight into the United States' players' eyes. A team so expected to win and defeat their opponents in a sport that they cherish as a unique export was now trailing this Japanese team.

"Timeout! United States!" the referee proclaimed as he blew his whistle.

Mike Kryzyzewski, the coach of the United States, visibly distraught, walked onto the court, imploring his players to pick up their effort and take the game more seriously.

Coach Kryzyzewski, Coach K as he is more known as, is a college basketball coach for one of the best college basketball programs in the United States, Duke University. He also has been tasked with coaching the Men's National Team as well. A usually calm man was lividly yelling at his players.

"Good job, team!" Riko applauded her team. A collection of high-fives and chest bumps filled the happy huddle.

"Keep attacking!" Momoi urged them to continue. "The last thing we want is for them to get back on their feet and start a counterattack. We have to build this lead!"

_10-2. Japan leads. 8:45 left in the first quarter. _

As Team USA inbounds the ball yet again, Akashi marks Paul tightly, not giving him any breathing space to operate. Paul pushes the ball up the court and passes it to LeBron on the right arc and then proceeds to cut to the right corner, setting a down screen on Muraskibara, letting Chandler break free to set a screen on Aomine for LeBron to dribble towards the heart of the defense.

With Murasakibara caught on the Paul screen, Aomine caught on the Chandler screen and Akashi lost amidst all the discombobulating of players on the right side, LeBron was able to penetrate towards the middle with no resistance.

Midorima and Kise, both guarding players that were camped out on the three point line on the left side, were unwillingly to commit to stopping the freight train LeBron James. And as a result, LeBron was able to finish at the rim with an easy uncontested left handed layup.

_10-4. Japan. 8:31 left in the first quarter. _

It was a brilliant set play out of the timeout. Without hesitation, Kise immediately inbounded the ball to Midorima. Midorima scanned the court and saw that Kobe was guarding Aomine on the full court press. With a smile, he raised up from an unbelievable distance and prepared to shoot the ball. Quickly caught by surprise, Midorima was greeted by the lanky arms of Kevin Durant who was there to contest his shot.

Durant, though 6'9, has a wingspan that far surpasses his own height. With a condor-like reach and branching hands, Durant was able to completely cover up Midorima's entire vision of the basket with his entire arm. Not wanting to get blocked in the backcourt by Durant, Midorima adjusted his shot and flicked the ball higher into his release.

With everybody sprinting back and awaiting the result of the shot, it clanged short in front of the rim, and the ball was quickly pulled down by Chandler like a frog snatching his prey from the sky.

Chandler, wasting no time, immediately passed the ball to LeBron, who immediately started a fast break.

That was one of the sins that Momoi had warned against when defending LeBron. With everybody hustling back to the rim on Midorima's shot, LeBron was able to break free and roam towards the half court line and start a fast break. With his immense body size and speed, he quickly outran the others into the other basket.

With only Midorima remaining from his shot, Midorima quickly stepped up to LeBron as LeBron reached the three point line with blazing speed. LeBron looked away and skipped a bounce pass to Durant, who was camping in the back court after defending Midorima's shot well, who immediately flushed the ball down the rim with his two hands.

_10-6. Japan. 8:25 left. _

_Do not let the United States score in bunches. _

That was another one of Momoi's warnings. The Japanese team could not allow consecutive points to be scored on them in such a short period of time especially in the fast break. They could not afford a sprinting war between the two.

Midorima prepared to inbound the ball after the Durant dunk but was immediately greeted with the full court press of the United States. With Durant standing in front of him trying to disrupt the pass, Midorima had a difficult time trying to find an angle to inbound. Akashi was receiving the same treatment that he was giving Paul by the stout point guard. Aomine was watched closely by LeBron, who was bullying into the corner of the backcourt with brute strength. Kise was being hand checked by Kobe on the right baseline, discouraging any movement. The only available option was Murasakibara who waited at the free throw line. Chandler, who was defending him, stayed back to prevent any lob plays.

Midorima angled his body and snuck a pass to Murasakibara. Murasakibara caught the ball and shielded it from defenders with his body as his own teammates ran up the court. He laid in wait and watched as everybody moved up the court, including Midorima, who was being marked tightly by Durant.

Then he saw Akashi, the point guard of the team, appear close to him, asking for the ball to establish control over the game. Murasakibara unshielded the ball and was prepared to pass the ball to Akashi when a curious thought struck him.

"Where is Chris Paul? He was just marking him closely."

As soon as Murasakibara unshielded the ball, Chris Paul, who had been stalking behind Murasakibara waiting for him to unshield the ball, slapped the ball right out of his hands and came up with the steal.

With Paul recovering the ball in the back court, Team Japan had to switch back to defense on a moment's notice. As the players all ran back, Paul reset the offense and passed the ball to LeBron by center court, and again went to the right side and screened Murasakibara to free up Chandler to screen Aomine.

Aomine, remembering the previous time this occurred, decided to go under the screen to closely defend LeBron body-to-body, rather than going around the screen and giving him a free lane to the basket.

It was another one of the sins that Momoi warned against. With Aomine defending LeBron closely to prevent him from getting an easy layup, Chandler instead rolled towards the basket, and LeBron made an easy in-the-air pass to Chandler who dunked the ball with authority.

_10-8. Japan. 8:11 left in the first quarter. _

Kise wasted no time quickly inbounding the ball to Akashi after the Chandler dunk. They could ill afford another turnover in the backcourt to the United States.

Akashi pushed the ball up the court, resetting the offense and he waited to analyze how the United States was to set their defense. He saw how Durant was defending Midorima, tight and full court, not giving him an inch of breathing space. The Midorima blitzkrieg has come to an end now that the United States has adjusted their defense.

Riko has realized this as well. Switching Kevin Durant onto Midorima would definitely give the latter problems shooting the ball. Now Team Japan must alter their offensive strategy.

But this is what the General, Akashi is supposed to do. He calls for a pick from Murasakibara, who sets a physical screen on Paul, sort of revenge for the previous two that were set on him, and forces Chandler to defend with Ice. Akashi utilizes his own lateral quickness and maneuvers around Chandler into the open lane. Like the United States offense, Japan sets all their players on the three point line to allow penetration from the guards.

This allows Akashi to drive towards the rim pretty much uncontested. Except that Kobe Bryant decided to help one pass away from his man, Kise, and swipes at the ball while Akashi attacked the basket.

Akashi read this with his Emperor Eye, and instead of shooting a layup, he positions himself to shoot an off-balanced floater. Kobe, fully expecting Akashi to shoot the layup when he swiped at the ball, instead makes contact with Akashi's body in the middle of his floater.

Another personal foul.

Akashi felt the contact from Kobe's swipe and throws up a shot at the rim after hearing a whistle from the referee throws the ball towards the rim which unfortunately clanked off the backboard.

Shooting foul. Two shots for Akashi. That is the second personal foul on Kobe Bryant. In just two minutes of action, Bryant has picked up two fouls and in order to prevent him drawing a third foul, a substitution was needed.

Coach K recognized this and pulled one of his players from the bench to be a substitute for Kobe. Riko realized that this was a critical juncture in the game. Whichever player that Coach K puts in could affect the entire scheme of their plan entirely. Would he opt for speed and send it a player like Russell Westbrook? Would he opt another guard on the court and spread the floor more with three point shooting and send in a player like Deron Williams? Would he decide on another big bodied scorer like Carmelo Anthony or a premier defender like Andre Iguodala?

_Deron Williams_

_Position: Point Guard _

_Height: 6'3 (191 cm)_

_Number 8 _

The patchy-bearded point guard substituted for Kobe. This was truly a difficult predicament for all Riko, a two point guard set would spew trouble for Japan.

As Akashi stepped up to the free throw line, he calmly sank both his attempts.

_12-8. Japan. 7:53 left in the 1st Quarter_

LeBron was going to bring the ball up the court, acting primarily as a facilitator. With a high screen at the top of the arc from Chandler, Murasakibara was dragged way out to the perimeter, exposing the heart of the paint.

LeBron took no hesitation driving towards the rim after Chandler shook off his man. If nobody from the Japanese players, staying in wait for the camped out American players on the three point line, went to contest LeBron's shot, he would get another easy layup or dunk.

Midorima went to help, leaving his man Williams, free at the three point line. LeBron read this easily and flung a pass towards Williams at the left corner of the arc as Midorima slid over to contest his supposed shot. Kise, defending Durant a few feet from Williams caught the ball, was caught in the predicament of whether he shot help one pass away.

Following the tight orders to not abandon Durant, Kise did not slide over to put a hand up on Williams. Deron, unguarded, raised up and shot the three ball.

Splash.

_12-11. Japan. 7:39 left in the 1st Quarter _

The United States had narrowed the gap in this fast paced high scoring affair. Momoi's plan for a blitzkrieg assault on the United States team worked, kind of. They eliminated Kobe from the game temporarily by putting in foul trouble, a certain plus for Japan. Their defense needed to clamp down on their opponents and not allow easy points.

Akashi dribbled the ball up the court and directed all the players on the court to specific positions. He glanced over to the bench and saw Momoi had held up a peace sign. Two fingers, that means it's time for Step 2.

_Step 2: Slow the game down. Half-court offense. _

Akashi smiled. It was his time to shine, he thought to himself. And it couldn't have come at a better time.

He had awakened his killer side.

**_Author's Note: The conclusion of Chapter 3! As usual, thanks for reading! _**


End file.
